When I had finished building my DIY custom 2-piece "Hammond B3 Shell" for my Hammond SK Pro 73 and MIDI board (an M Audio KS 61), my wife offered to buy me custom gig bags for the 2 pieces (each weighs 30#, with the SK Pro removed from the top case). But I declined, as it would have cost $750 for 2 bags -- ouch! So, instead, I put $710 towards a new Korg Multi-Poly and $40 towards 2 new moving blankets (which was a much better GAS outcome for me!). The blankets protect the case & base well when they're being moved or transported, but with just a simple blanket-stitch done on each end, they flopped around which made them a bit unwieldy to carry.

I thought this solution (see 2nd image below) might be helpful to others who might make their own gig bags for any custom equipment, or to modify any existing bags that "don't quite fit right". I discounted the idea of trying to sew on zippers or pieces of Velcro, as that would be too much work. I wanted something that was simple to add, and which would be easily visible in a darkened corner off or back stage. So I settled on using wood "toggle" buttons and 1/8" elastic cord. Simply punch 2 holes in the bag's fabric, knot in a loop or the button, and Voila' -- you're done. They work well, and you can see how the bags are much better secured in the images below.

All I need to do now is to cut-in and hem 2 openings on the ends of the case's bag so we can easily access the folding handles (as seen in the 1st image), which were added since I last posted on here about my B3-like build. They were a great addition to the case for sure; and with the newly-added latches securing the case to the base, now we can assemble it off stage and lift it all up as one piece.

Rock on!

Old No7